A World Without Heroes
by Eugol Dlareg
Summary: Serena helps Jake cope with the death of Sailor Mercury, and Jake tries to mend his friendship with Rae. This story takes place between episodes 12 and 13 of American Senshi:the Darkness saga.


Sailor Moon-American Senshi: Beyond the Powers  
by Eugol Dlareg  
  
  
  
I do not own any of the main characters in this story except for Gilded Rose. They are owned by someone in Japan. However, with the exception of Serena Campbell and Amy Anderson, I do own the Americanized names of the characters, as well as many of the supporting characters and villians. To make things easy, we'll just say that anything that has appeared in the manga or anime version of Sailor Moon is owned by someone in Japan, most likely Toei or Naoko Takeuchi.   
  
The lyrics quoted in this story are from the song A World Without Heroes, which was written by Bob Ezrin, Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, and Lou Reed  
  
note: this story takes place 45 minutes after The Darkness Saga: Episode 12-A Costly Victory  
  
A WORLD WITHOUT HEROES  
  
Thursday, 10 July, 1986 11:30 a.m. Jake Slater's bedroom  
  
"I used to be a hero," Jake said to nobody in particular.  
  
"You still are," Serena Campbell said. "Just because you don't have superpowers anymore doesn't mean you're no hero."  
  
"How'd you get in here?" Jake asked.   
  
"Your dad let me in," Serena said. "Listen, I know I know you're taking Amy's death harder than the rest of us, since you're the one who got to know her best. But that doesn't mean the rest of us don't miss her."  
  
"Do you know what gets me the most?" Jake asked.  
  
"What?" Serena replied.  
  
"She never saw it coming," Jake answered. "Not until it was too late. Nothing but a cheap shot." He punctuated that last remark by punching one of the pillows on the bed.  
  
Serena put her hand on Jake's shoulder. "You know the other Sailor Soldiers and I are always there if you need us," she said.  
  
Jake put his hand on Serena's. "Thank you," he said. "It's just that everything happened so sudden, and . . . " He felt himself about to completely lose composure.  
  
Serena noticed. "Go ahead and let it all out," she said. "I have two shoulders, pick one."  
  
Jake chose her left shoulder and cried for almost half an hour. "Thank you," he said when he was done. "Thank you for being here for me."  
  
"You're welcome," Serena said. "Just remember, even though we don't have powers anymore, we're still a team. You, me, Tom, Susan, Elizabeth, Rae. . . "  
  
Jake interrupted her. "Oh crap!" he said at the mention of Rae's name. "I can't believe I said what I said to her." As the team was leaving the site of their final battle with the Darkness, Rae had tried to talk to Jake, but he responded by snapping at her, speaking to her in anger. He'd basically told her that he didn't want to talk to her. When she again tried to talk to her, he again said he didn't want to talk to her, and called her a bitch, as well as using several other words that Rae was unaware that Jake knew about. He hadn't meant any of it, she just caught him at exactly the wrong moment.   
  
"She probably realizes you didn't mean a word of it," Serena said. "She also knows you're sorry you said it. But none of that will matter until you tell her yourself."  
  
"You mean, I should. . . ?" Jake asked.  
  
"What are you waiting for?" Serena asked. "An engraved invitation? Go over there and apologize." Jake left the room through the window, while Serena used the door.  
  
two minutes later, Rae's house  
  
Jake climbed the trellice to the veranda, and knocked on the door. "Go away," Rae said, matter-of-factly.  
  
"We have to talk," Jake said.  
  
"I have nothing to say to you," Rae said.  
  
"Well I have something to say to you," Jake said. "And I'm not leaving until I say it.  
  
Rae knew Jake well enough to know he was fully prepared to make good on that threat. "All right," she said. "Come in."   
  
Jake entered her bedroom and sat down on the chair. "Listen," he said. "I know I said some things to you I shouldn't have."  
  
"Damn right you shouldn't have," Rae said. "Do you realize how much what you said hurt me? Every one of those words was like a dagger being stuck in my back."  
  
"I realize that now," Jake said. "And I also realize that it probably won't help much if I told you that I meant absolutely none of it. I was upset and you just happened to catch me at exactly the wrong moment."  
  
"You're right," Rae said. "It doesn't help much."  
  
"I'm sorry," Jake said, moving from the chair to the bed.. "I'm sorry I was such a dick to you this morning. I'm sorry I said those things to you. You're my best friend, and I would never deliberately do anything to hurt you."  
  
"You think that's all it's going to take?" Rae asked. ""You just apologize and it's all over? "That ain't how it works."  
  
However bad Jake felt about what he'd said that morning, Rae's response to his apology made him feel ten times worse. It felt, in fact, like she'd stabbed him in the back. He'd felt so bad, in fact, that he started to leave.  
  
"Wait a minute," Rae said as Jake was about to leave. "You look like I reached into your chest and ripped your heart out."  
  
"That's exactly how I feel right now," Jake said. "But you forgot the part where you make me watch as you stomp on my heart before I die."  
  
"Oh my god," Rae said. "That's exactly how I felt when you said those things to me."  
  
"Listen Rae," Jake said. "I'm . . ."  
  
Rae put a finger to his lips. "I know," she said. "Apology accepted. End of discussion." And her tone of voice made that point abundantly clear.   
  
"You hungry?" Jake asked.  
  
"Yeah," Rae answered.  
  
"Build Yer Own Hot Dog," Jake said. "My treat."  
  
"You buy," Rae said, dangling her car keys in Jake's face. "I'll fly."  
  
They went to Rae's car, a silver 1968 Ford Mustang Fastback, and Rae started the engine. As they pulled out of the driveway, Jake put a cassette into the tape deck, a cassette of various songs from tne group KISS. The tape just happened to be cued to the song A World Without Heroes. They listened to the song as they drove.  
  
A world without heroes   
Is like a world without sun   
You can't look up to anyone   
Without heroes   
  
And a world without heroes   
Is like a never ending race   
Is like a time without a place   
A pointless thing devoid of grace   
  
Where you don't know what you're after   
Or if something's after you   
And you don't know why you don't know   
In a world without heroes   
  
In a world without dreams   
Things are no more than they seem   
  
And a world without heroes   
Is like a bird without wings   
Or a bell that never rings   
Just a sad and useless thing   
  
Where you don't know what you're after   
Or if something's after you   
And you don't know why you don't know   
  
In a world without heroes   
There's nothing to be   
It's no place for me   
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



End file.
